LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2316, 27 March 1930, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Master Norman Hague, younger son of Mrs Hague, of Williams Street, had the misfortune to fracture his left wrist on Monday, while endeavouring to start .a motor car with the crank handle. The injured member is progressing as well as can be expected.

A swimming competition of six races has been held during- the season for the Hall Cup, and the last race was contested on Tuesday night. The final event was over 100yds, the winner being R; Gardiner, off the 19sec. mark. The winner defeated S. Speight, scr., by several yards. With a total of 11 points Gardiner has put up a fine record in the competition, gaining first place in both 100yds events; second and third in two 66 2-3yds events, and second in one of the two 33 l-3yds events. Speight was runner-up with 7 points. "Bob," as the winner is more familiarly known, is a schoolboy swimmer of great promise and his win was very popular. The cup for the competition was generously donated by Mr E. (Ted) Hall, the present captain of the local club.

Speaking to a Thames Star reporter Mr C. E. Macmillan, M.P., stated that he considered there was every chance of an election soon after Parliament meets. In view of the illness of .Sir Joseph Ward, he considered that the United Party would not be able to carry on, and stated that he anticipated that the election would be fought on the unemployment question. Mr H. R. Jenkins, who resigned the Parnell scat in the House of Representatives on Friday, is willing to join the Reform League, and has intimated that he is prepared to abide by the result of the ballot by which the official Reform candidate will be selected. Thus, if Mr Jenkins is not chosen as the official Reform candidate by the conference of delegates to be convened for that purpose, he will not be a candidate at the by-election.

Greymouth's champion mean man has been unearthed. The man in question walked into a boot repairer's shop and enquired for a last. The repairer, naturally thinking that the man wanted to purchase one, replied that he had one that he could sell at a reasonable figure. His feelings can readily be imagined when the reply was made: "I don't want to buy a last! I only wanted a loan of one to. repair my boots!"

"New Zealand-grown tobacco is recognised in Australia as an excellent product, equal to anything from America." This statement comes from Mr C. Coward, representative of the Paci'fic Tobacco Industries, who arrived at Auckland by the Ma'unganui from Sydney. Mr Coward said that his company had more acreage under contract in Australia than the whole of the area cultivated for tobacco in New Zealand. The cultivation would be a wonderful thing for this Dominion in the next few years. Australians considered investments in the tobacco industry to be very good.

It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and '"mechanics in some parts of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board's area state that since the installation of meter's on dairy farms they have been kept busy installing new vacuum pumps in milking sheds. Cases are mentioned, of pumps making 140 strokes per minute where they should have been doing only 80. This has resulted in .a wastage of power/but while the consumers were on the flat rate they were not encouraged to get their machines overhauled. After receiving the first bill after the meters were installed they hastened to call in mechanics.—Morrinsvillo Star.

An interesting diversion was provided at the farewell social held at St. Paul's Methodist Hall on Tuesday evening, when a "kitchen evening" was also held in honour of Miss Mavis Gutry, who is shortly to bo married. Soon after proceedings had commenced it was announced that a parcel had just arrived by express transit, addressed to Miss Gutry, with a request that it be opened at the social. The parcel was brought in—a huge one, well wrapped with newspapers—and on being opened was found to contain the bridegroom-elect (Mr Geo. Simon), whose presence at the social had been kept a close secret. The young lady particularly concerned was greatly surprised, and the incident created much merriment.